Vayetze: Chapter 30

"Appoint me your wages"

Synopsis

The rabbis comment on Jacob's payment by his father-in-law, Laban. Because Jacob was whole-hearted and sincere in his relations with Laban, God rescued him and took him into the Holy Land, even though Laban dealt with him unfairly. Through his honesty, Jacob was testing his luck-a necessary precaution before he could take the next step out of exile. This verse teaches us to deal honestly even with those who exploit us. Time will bring our reward.

Relevance

Our rewards in life are often delayed by time, to test the authenticity of our virtuous behavior. The delay may create the illusion that honest behavior goes unrewarded, and that the wicked prosper from their negative deeds. This severely limited view of life only generates affliction and judgment at a later point in our lives. Here the ability to perceive the cause and effect principle that governs the cosmos is aroused in our consciousness.

Eyes Female Jacob Wicked Wickedness Women

294. "Appoint me your wages, and I will give it" (Beresheet 30:28). HE ASKS, What is the meaning of "Appoint?" Rabbi Yitzchak said, The wicked one said - I see that Jacob has eyes only for females, therefore he shall serve me. He then said, "Appoint (Heb. nokvah) me your wages," a female (Heb. nekevah) shall be your wages, as before. "...And I will give it..." means 'tell me what woman you have cast your eyes on, and you shall serve me for her.'

294. וַיֹּאמֶר נָקְבָה שְׂכָרְךָ עָלַי וְאֶתֵּנָה, מַאי נָקְבָה. אֲמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, הַהוּא רָשָׁע אֲמַר, אֲנָא חָמֵי, דְּיַעֲקֹב לָא אִסְתַּכֵּל אֶלָּא בְּנוּקְבֵי, וּבְגִין כָּךְ יִפְלַח לִי, אֲמַר נָקְבָה שְׂכָרְךָ, הָא נְקֵבָה, דְּאִיהוּ שְׂכָרְךָ, כַּד בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. וְאֶתֵּנָה, אֵימָא מַאן נְקֵבָה אִסְתַּכַּלְתְּ בָּהּ, וְאֶתֵּנָה, וּפְלַח לִי בְּגִינָהּ.

Heaven Jacob

295. "And Jacob said, 'You shall not give me anything'" (Beresheet 30:31). Jacob said, Heaven forbid! -- whatever I did, I did for the glory of the Holy King AND NOT FOR MY PASSIONS. Therefore, "You shall not give me anything," because it was NEVER my intention but, "if you will do this thing for me..."

295. וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב לֹא תִתֵּן לִי מְאוּמָה, אֲמַר יַעֲקֹב חָלִילָה, דְּהָא אֲנָא כָּל מַה דַּעֲבִידְנָא, לְשֵׁם יְקָרָא דְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא עֲבִידְנָא, וְעַל דָּא לֹא תִּתֵּן לִי מְאוּמָה, דְּהָא לַאו דַּעְתָּאי בְּהַאי, אֶלָּא אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וגו.'

Abraham Circumcision Goats Isaac Jacob Laban Rods Tents

296. "And he removed that day the he-goats" (Beresheet 30:35). Rabbi Elazar began the discussion with the verse, "Hashem, who shall abide in Your tent" (Tehilim 15:1) This was explained by the friends. "He that walks in perfection" is Abraham, for when he was circumcised, he became perfect; "works Righteousness" refers to Isaac; and he who "speaks truth" is Jacob. Assuredly, Jacob cleaved to the attribute of Truth. HE ASKS, If he cleaved to the attribute of Truth, why did he behave as he did with Laban, NAMELY, WHEN PEELING THE RODS?

296. וַיָּסַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת הַתְּיָשִׁים. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, יי' מִי יָגוּר בְּאָהֳלֶךָ וגו,' הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָיא, הוֹלֵךְ תָּמִים, דָּא אַבְרָהָם. דְּכַד אִתְגְּזַר, תָּמִים אִקְרֵי. וּפוֹעֵל צֶדֶק, דָּא יִצְחָק. וְדוֹבֵר אֱמֶת, דָּא יַעֲקֹב. וַדַּאי יַעֲקֹב בֶּאֱמֶת אִתְדַּבַּק, אִי הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת אִתְדַּבַּק, מ"ט עֲבַד עִם לָבָן כְּגַוְונָא דָא.

Jacob

297. HE ANSWERS, Jacob was testing his luck BY WHAT HE DID. It is permissible for a man to see if fortune is with him before he returns to his country. If his luck stands by him, all is well; if it does not, he shall not set foot to go until the time is favorable.

297. אֶלָא, יַעֲקֹב בָּחִין שַׁעְתָּא דְמַזְּלֵיהּ הֲוָה. דְּשָׁרֵי לֵיהּ לְאֵינַשׁ, לְמִבְחַן שַׁעְתֵּיהּ, עַד לָא יָתוּב לְאַרְעֵיהּ, וְאִי מַזָּלֵיהּ קָאֵים בַּמֶּה דַּעֲבֵיד שַׁפִּיר, וְאִי לָאו לָא יוֹשִׁיט רַגְלוֹי, עַד דְּיִסְלַק לְגַבֵּיהּ.

Goats Hundred Jacob Laban Lambs Male Sheep Sorcery Witchcraft

298. Come and see, It is written, "So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come..." (Beresheet 30:33) for he did not attempt to obtain something from Laban for nothing, but did everything truthfully and wholeheartedly. Moreover, he received permission from Laban to do this. Thus, it is written THAT HE ANSWERS HIM, "I have learned by signs that Hashem has blessed me for your sake" (Ibid. 27). Laban used magic and sorcery and tested his luck to find out WHETHER HE SUCCEEDED because of Jacob. He found that every month he added a hundred sheep, a hundred lambs, and a hundred male goats to his flocks because of Jacob, AND THEREFORE GAVE HIM PERMISSION.

298. תָּא חֲזֵי כְּתִיב וְעָנְתָה בִּי צִדְקָתִי בְּיוֹם מָחָר וגו,' דְּהָא אִיהוּ לָא עֲבַד בְּגִין דְּיִטּוֹל מִדִּילֵיהּ לְמַגָּנָא, אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא בְּקוּשְׁטָא וּשְׁלִימוּ דִּרְעוּתָא וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ נָטֵיל רְשׁוּ מִלָּבָן, וְע"ד כְּתִיב נִחַשְׁתִּי וַיְבָרֲכֵנִי יי' בִּגְלָלֶךָ. כַּמָּה חֳרָשִׁין וְזִינִין עֲבַד לָבָן, וּבָחִין מַזָּלֵיהּ, בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, וַהֲוָה אַשְׁכַּח בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, מְאָה עָאנָא כָּל יַרְחָא, וּמְאָה אִמְרִין, וּמְאָה עִזִּין יַתִּיר עַל עָאנֵיהּ.

Blessing Goats Jacob Laban Lambs Male Sheep

299. Rabbi Aba said, Jacob used to bring an additional thousand cattle, thousand lambs, and thousand male goats every month. This is what is meant by the verse, "For the little which you had before I came is now increased to a multitude; and Hashem has blessed you since my coming" (Beresheet 30:30). Blessing from above does not dwell on less than a thousand of each kind. So there were a thousand sheep, a thousand lambs, and a thousand male goats, since blessing from above do not dwell on a lesser number. Thus, Jacob brought Laban great wealth.

299. ר' אַבָּא אֲמַר, אֶלֶף עָאנִין, וְאֶלֶף אִמְרִין, וְאֶלֶף עִזִּין, הֲוָה מַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב יַתִּיר בְּכָל יַרְחָא וְיַרְחָא, הה"ד כִּי מְעַט אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לְךָ לְפָנַי וַיִּפְרֹץ לָרוֹב וַיְבָרֶךְ יי' אוֹתְךָ לְרַגְלִי, וּבִרְכְתָא דִלְעֵילָא לָאו אִיהוּ, פָּחוֹת מֵאֶלֶף, מִכָּל זִינָא וְזִינָא, מֵעָאנִין אֶלֶף אִשְׁתַּכַּח, מֵאִמְרִין אֶלֶף אִשְׁתַּכַּח, מֵעִזִּין אֶלֶף אִשְׁתַּכַּח, עַל כָּל מַה דְּשַׁרְיָא בִּרְכְתָא דִלְעֵילָא, לָא פָּחוֹת מֵאֶלֶף, עַד דִּבְגִינֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, אִסְתַּלַּק לָבָן לְכַמָּה עוֹתְרָא.

Jacob Laban Rods Ten Thought

300. When Jacob asked for his wages, he found only ten of each kind, yet he thought it generous. He saw THE DIFFERENCE between the small amount he received from Laban and what Laban received as a result of his efforts. And what Jacob received was given reluctantly, as a result of the rods he placed against the cattle.

300. וְכַד בָעָא יַעֲקֹב לְנַטְלֵיהּ אַגְרֵיהּ, לָא אַשְׁכַּח אֶלָּא עֲשָׂרָה מִכָּל זִינָא וְזִינָא, וְיַעֲקֹב חָשֵׁיב לֵיהּ לְעוֹתְרָא סַגֵּי. חָמֵי כַּמָּה נָטֵיל מִדִּילֵיהּ, מִמַּה דַּהֲוָה יָהֵיב אִיהוּ בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ לְלָבָן. וְכָל דָּא דְּסָלֵיק בֵּיהּ יַעֲקֹב, לָא הֲוָה, אֶלָּא בִּזְרוֹעַ דְּאִינוּן מַקְלוֹת, דְּשַׁוֵּי לְגַבֵּי עָנָא.

Jacob Laban Ten

301. Come and behold, how much did the perfect Jacob toil for Laban? It is written, "And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob" (Beresheet 30:36), and he brought him much wealth. Yet because Laban did not want to pay Jacob's wages, he gave Jacob ten of this kind and ten of that kind, and said to him, Take these, and if they issue as you said, SPECKLED AND SPOTTED, they will be your wages. THIS MEANS HE MAY TAKE TEN OF EACH. This is the meaning of the verse, "and changed my wages ten times (Heb. monim)" (Beresheet 31:7), that is, ten of (Heb. min) this and ten of (Heb. min) that. It is written, "And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times." By these ten, he strove after the Holy One, blessed be He, and blessed Him. With all his conditions, Laban went back on his words and took everything from Jacob, until the Holy One, blessed be He, took pity on him and took from Laban by force.

301. תָּא חֲזֵי כַּמָּה טָרַח הַהוּא שְׁלֵימָא דְיַעֲקֹב, אֲבַתְרֵיהּ דְּלָבָן. כְּתִיב, וַיָּשֶׂם דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים וגו,' וַהֲוָה אַיְיתֵי ֵיהּ כָּל הַאי עוֹתְרָא, וְעִם כָּל דָּא, לָא בָעָא לָבָן דִּיהֵא אַגְרֵיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב הָכֵי, אֶלָּא נְטַל עֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא, וַעֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא, וִיהַב לֵיהּ, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ, טוֹל הַנֵּי, וְאִי יוֹלִידוּ כְּמָה דַאֲמַרְתְּ, בְּהַאי גַוְונָא יְהֵא אַגְרָךְ, הה"ד וַתַּחְלֵף אֶת מַשְׂכּוּרְתִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת מוֹנִים, עֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא וַעֲשָׂרָה מִן דָּא, וּכְתִיב וַאֲבִיכֶן הֵתֶל בִּי וְהֶחֱלִיף אֶת מַשְׂכּוּרְתִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת מוֹנִים. אֶשְׁתַּדַּל בָּתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבָרְכֵיהּ. וּמִכָּל מַה דְּשַׁוֵּי לָבָן עִמֵּיהּ דְּיַעֲקֹב, אַהֲדַר בְּמִלּוּלֵיהּ, וּנְטֵיל מִיַּעֲקֹב כֹּלָּא, עַד דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עֲלֵיהּ, וּנְטַל מִדִּילֵיהּ בִּזְרוֹעַ.

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